Testimonials

What People Have To Say

People have some pretty nice things to say about the wheels I've built for them (or that we've built together; see the testimonials for my Wheelbuilding School). If you're thinking about custom wheels, take a look at some of the projects below.

One special thank you goes to Kirk Otterson, a USA Cycling-licensed racing coach with vast experience, for his kind words:"I had the pleasure of working with Bill Mould recently on a hand-built wheel set for my "project" single speed bike. What a great experience! Bill walked me through a number of options for hubs, spokes, and rims and answered every question I had. He spoke directly with suppliers on some of the unique requirements I laid out. He kept me informed every step of the way and I learned a lot about wheels in the process.The build itself was flawless and the wheels perform very well. Bill is a master at his craft and an educator too! As an expert level USA cycling coach, I frequently recommend certain products and services to my clients. These must be of the highest quality, especially for my athletes who race competitively. Bill Mould's wheels are simply outstanding. I've worked with Bill on wheels for some of my athletes and his service is always thorough, his approach is personal, and his passion for his work, evident. If you want a custom wheel, Bill Mould is the man to see."

Testimonial Categories

Kevin is a big guy who needed some really strong wheels what would stand up to punishment. I built him two really cool wheels with Velocity 36-hole road hubs and yellow Deep V rims. Black DT Swiss double-butted spokes gave an overall stunning appearance to the wheels. Kevin was very happy when he picked them up, but he followed up with an email after some really long rides. He's obviously still happy."I'm 600 miles into your wheels now, including a solo century on Sunday... All I have done since (the wheels) left your hands is ride... I'm putting my spoke wrench up on e-Bay, as clearly I just don't need it anymore." - Kevin Brown, Maryland

Peter asked me to build him a wheel reusing his Zipp rim and lacing it up with a Powertap SL hub. We decided on Sapim CX-ray bladed spokes and Sapim nipples. His front wheel looked good and already had those same spokes with a good quality hub. I just checked the spoke tension which was fine. The rear wheel came out great, and I glued on a new tubular tire."Bill Mould is the only deal in town for wheel builds. His attention to every last detail yields a super-high quality wheel, and he gets it right the first time. Bill recently built two wheels for me, and they are both superb. He sees things that the manufacturer either overlooked or ignored, and you will end up with a better, safer, more durable wheel because of it. I truly appreciate his work and great attitude, and have recommended him to everyone whom I know that cycles." - Peter Alexander Mandy, Maryland

Dan wanted some strong wheels to go with his Salsa frame. We went with Velocity light-weight road hubs and Velocity DeepV rims with DT Swiss double butted black spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples."The wheels on my new Salsa are gorgeous! Thanks for doing such a fantastic job on them. I'm really glad I went the custom build route." - Dan Dildine, Virginia

I built Bill two wheels for his Campy-equipped bike. I used Campy Records hubs front and rear with Velocity Aerohead rims and DT Swiss black double-butted 14G/15G spokes with Sapim POLYAX SILS nipples. Both, of course, are highly tensioned to enhance their durability and performance.

Kjetil is from Norway and is in the U.S. as part of a doctoral program he is pursuing. Long before he came here, he contacted me about building some wheels for him. He rides a beautiful Seven equipped entirely with Campagnolo Record components. Kjetil is a very fit rider who wanted some racing wheels appropriate for the bike. I build them from Campy Record hubs and Velocity Aerohead rims. The rear has offset drilling to improve lateral stability and the wheels are laced up with Sapim CX-ray spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Lots of tension.

"Magic Hands! Before I came to Virginia, I asked Seven Cycles what store I should do business with. Seven Cycles recommended Spokes, Etc. as "one of the best dealers in the nation." Through the Internet, I tracked down Bill Mould, "The Magic Wheel Builder." And, that he is! I am very pleased with my new wheelset. Both butter smooth and sharp, responsive. I thought I had one friend with magic hands (my chiropractor, Dr. Frank Jarrell in Durango, CO). Now, I have two! Thanks." - Kjetil Rod, Molde, Norway

I built these yellow wheels for Terry several months ago. I used black Velocity road hubs and Velocity Aerohead rims with black DT Swiss double-butted spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Everything was working out great until Terry's Trek carbon fiber frame developed a crack. Trek came through in style and provided a new frame. Not only that, but Trek had the frame custom painted in the color you see because they had dropped yellow as a color for their 2009 frames. I think this is the only 2009 yellow Trek bike in the world. And, the colors match perfectly. Thanks, Trek, for your support!

"Bill, thanks for building these great wheels. They are rock solid and take that beating they get on the W&OD without so much as a wobble." - Terry Kasey

(For readers not familiar with trails in the Washington DC area, the W&OD is the Washington and Old Dominion trail. Thanks to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the W&OD was converted from an abandoned railroad track into a very long, paved bike trail that goes through some beautiful Virginia scenery. It's a national treasure.)

Beth and her husband, Rick, are both active duty military. Beth came to see me after crashing several times on her bike. I looked at the wheels and determined that the spoke tension was so low that the wheels became unstable during rides. The crashes weren't her fault; there was just way too much lateral flexing in the wheels which made them very unpredictable. I built her two new wheels with much better results. As pictured to the left, Beth is working on her bike in the Park Tool School offered at the Belle View store of Spokes, Etc., which Bill teaches.

"Bill rebuilt my wheels which has given me a much more stable (and safer) ride!" - Beth Prekker

"I started riding bicycles again (after I parked an English 3 spd as a kid) in 1981, while I was stationed in northern Okinawa. As I was being beat to death by my lieutenants while climbing the mountains there, I noticed that they all had really good wheels and I did not. At their suggestion I bought a reasonable set of Japanese Araya sew-ups. I've worn out three sets of rims since then. I still prefer the weight advantage and smoothness of sew-ups. Regardless of the rim one prefers, however, the real advantage is gained through: (1) the quality of the rim, spokes and hubs, and (2) who builds the wheel, and only then, (3), tires.Riders have a lot of choices these days, particularly with factory built wheels. But not all of them are realistic. Too many are foolishly expensive. Others are suitable only for jockeys. If one weighs in between 170 and 190 lbs (a lot of us) then wheel strength is an issue. And part of that issue is likewise a question of who made it.The other option is a custom built wheel with rims, spokes and hubs selected exactly for the sort of riding and conditions one typically experiences. (All my riding aims at RAGBRAI, and Iowa's hills; I want a light, good climbing, but reliable, wheel.) If you suspect that a wheel designed for exactly the kind of riding you do would be better than a single purpose wheel that may not suit your purpose (or weight), I'd agree.
The problem then lies in finding a skilled wheel -builder. Look at the mechanics that work in most bike shops and you'll find an enthusiastic young fellow that has been building wheels since the middle of last week. When I stopped by my LBS (of a big American bike builder) the enthusiastic mechanic agreed that the rear was damaged beyond repair and while holding my Mavic tubular rim in his hand, looked up the price and availability of a Mavic clincher. I left.After a lot of research I found Bill Mould in Arlington, Va. I knew from his Air Force background that attention-to-detail was in his genetic make-up. And he has real experience on top of a lot of good suggestions. I sent him my hubs, and he sent me back a wheel that is precisely tensioned and thus very strong, while at the same time extremely light. His wheels are by far the best I have had. My wheels are Mavic Reflex (CD) rims, Sapim DB spokes (28 front, 32 rear), and White Industry road hubs with Bocca ceramic bearings. A Calfee Dragonfly Pro sits on top of them." - Bob Lewis, Colonel, USMC (ret.) | Overland Park, Kansas

Colleen took the Park Tool School course we offer where people learn to work on their own bikes, make adjustments, etc. Part of that course is a close inspection of wheels as to their health and spoke tension. I noticed that Colleen's wheels were too low in tension, and the spokes were not optimal. So, I rebuilt them with DT Swiss double-butted 14/15 spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. You can see from her comments that she was well pleased with the outcome."It's like a new bike. Everything felt a lot tighter and more responsive. What an amazing difference. You're right, wheels make a huge difference to the bike. A too well kept secret." - Colleen Hoar

"Everything about the experience of buying wheels through Bill is a pleasure. From the first conversation about what I was looking for, all the way to the finished product, Bill made sure I was happy and educated about my new wheels. As an avid 180 pound rider, I was consistently having trouble with factory made wheels. With Bill, I ended up with a higher spoke count wheel set that was lighter than my stock wheels, and because they were properly made, I know they'll last. I highly recommend Bill and will inevitably be a return customer at some point."- Neil S.A Follow Up: "Just thought I'd check back in to let you know that the wheels are still rolling great. Not sure exactly how much, but I know I have at least 1200 miles on them by now, and both are still holding true. There's a tiny wobble in each, but I've hammered them and have hit several big holes that I thought would have pretzled them. Clearly they're built to last -- it feels like the increased tension really does add strength. Anyway, that's my uninformed guess at why they're still straight...all I know is, I'm glad I made the purchase."- Neil S.

Chantal manages the organization of events for the Washington Area Bicyclist Organization (WABA): http://www.waba.org. She is also a good friend of Spokes, Etc. Here she is pictured with her prized Campy-equipped bike that she rides all over the DC area. I made the wheels for Chantal's bike from Campagnolo Record hubs, extremely cool white Velocity Aerohead rims, Sapim CX-ray ultra lightweight stainless steel aerodynamic bladed spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. She loves the whole combination. By the way, if you live in the DC area, you should definitely join WABA and support it. WABA is a tireless and effective advocate for many issues that are importing to cycling in the entire DC metropolitan area."I wanted to thank you again for building me a fantastic wheel set. They are exceptionally strong, fast, handle well, and are customized for my size and riding. I can tell a lot of hard work, craftsmanship, and detail went into building them and for that I'm sincerely appreciative. Nothing beats riding on a set of wheels that you know have been assembled for YOU! Being a petite female rider, it's been hard finding the right fit and ride and now that I have I can never go back! Thank you so much Bill for your work on the wheels and your support of WABA." - Chantal Buscher

Check out the photo of Balt's cool bike. A red Seven with a set of custom-built wheels made from Chris King hubs, Mavic Open Pro rims (36 holes in the rear and 32 in the front), DT Swiss stainless steel double butted spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Balt is an avid rider along with his wife, Joyce, who also rides a Seven.

"I think Bill created outstanding wheels that are strong and customized to my personal riding style. Great detail and workmanship went into these wheels." - Balt Baca

Bruce and all members of his family are avid cyclists. His son, Chris, works for Spokes when he's home from college on vacations. His wife, Deborah, commutes on her bike. Bruce had been quite unhappy with his previous wheels but loves the new ones on his Serotta."Switched from a set of 6-year old Rolf wheels - and what a difference! The new wheelset Bill built made me feel like I had purchased a brand new bike. They roll so much smoother and what a difference in climbing. I like to climb out of the saddle, and the stiffer wheels are great. I'd recommend Bill to anyone." - Bruce Dell

"Bill, I took your wheel class last winter. It took me a while to get the rear wheel correct, and only with your assistance. I was riding the Colnago with the Sapim wheels full time by June and have had no problems with them. I didn't think the ride would improve dramatically...but it did. I'm 6'3"/215 lbs and I noticed a distinct change in the feel of the ride. I believe Sapim spokes do a superb job of damping the road. Downhill handling at speed is superb, particularly on turns. The spokes were a bit pricey, but the resulting performance far outweighs the cost. Thanks for recommending Sapim to me." - Rick Hartman

Vickie rides on American Classic wheels rebuilt with Sapim CX-ray black bladed spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. I had previously rebuilt these wheels with DT Swiss double butted spokes on which she raced many times and won a number of these races. The switch from the DT Swiss spokes to Sapim spokes saved 68 grams of weight in the wheel set while actually making the wheels stronger and more aerodynamic at the same time."I'm a big, heavy girl (and fast, too) so I need my wheels strong, I need them well built to take the miles and punishment I put them through, and I need them serviced from time to time. When it comes to spokes, there is nobody I trust more than Bill at Spokes, Etc. He's been working on my bike even when I was racing for a team sponsored by a competing bike shop." - Vickie Kostic

Byung rides a road bike with Rolf Vector wheels. He's a fit rider at 5'4" and 140 pounds, but his wheels were in miserable shape. The spokes were way too long (not Rolf's fault), and the wheel could not be properly tensioned. We rebuilt them with DT Swiss stainless steel 14G/15G double-butted spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples.

"Before taking the wheels to Bill, I had had them rebuilt by another bike shop to no avail. Then, I took them to Bill. I was thankful that Bill noticed that my original spokes were 4mm too long and did a superb job with a set of stubborn wheels that had many abusive miles on them. Bill is a true pro." - Byung Rim

Stephen races for NCVC. We made him some cool racing wheels built from Mavic Open Pro black rims (32 holes in the back and 28 in the front) Chris King black hubs, Sapim black CX-ray ultralight aerodynamic bladed spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. "I can't say enough about my choice to have Bill build a set of wheels for me. After talking to him, I learned that the combination of hubs, spokes, and rims would be comparable in both price and weight to the famed Mavic Ksyrium wheelset. In addition to the price and weight benefits, Bill's wheels have a better strength to weight ratio and greater serviceability than factory built wheels. The service I received from Bill Mould has been second to none. We were in contact throughout the process, with Bill providing me any information he had about the status of the wheels. Once I began to ride the wheels, he has stayed in touch, checking them to ensure that they wear in well. I have been exceedingly happy with my choice of wheel components as well as the decision to have Bill build them for me." - Stephen Weatherly

Ken is riding on wheels he built in the Spokes Wheel Building School at Spokes, Etc., Belle View. He built some really cosmic wheels from Shimano Dura Ace 32-hole hubs, Mavic Open Pro rims, Sapim CX-ray ultra-light, stainless steel, silver bladed spokes with Sapim Polyax SILS nipples.

I made the wheels shown here for myself so I can use clinchers instead of my usual tubulars for a bike trip. What you see is Chris King 28-hole hubs, Velocity black Aerohead rims, Sapim CX-ray stainless steel ultra-light bladed aerodynamic black spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nickel-plated brass nipples. They are as light as Mavic Ksyriums but a lot more comfortable to ride. I think they climb better and are more efficient, too. A racer friend of mine who usually rides Ksyriums tried mine and agreed. The rear rim uses an offset hole drilling pattern that increased the strength of the rear wheel both radially and laterally. This was Velocity's claim, and I proved it to myself through some careful measurements and calculations. I weigh 160 pounds, so the 28 spoke wheels work for me. The same wheels could also be built as 32's or 36's with a negligible increase in weight. A few grams could be shaved off with alloy nipples, but you should first be aware of the downsides to aluminum such as corrosion and metal hardening.

Check out Pedro's bike. Pedro is riding a Trek 2.3 with wheels made from red Chris King hubs, Velocity aerohead white rims, Sapim CX-ray black spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples."I have to admit, I've never owned a bike that rides and handles as well as this one. The wheels make a world of difference! I love this bike." - Pedro Pizarro

The following comment speaks clearly about the dramatic improvement in the riding experience that can be gained merely by bringing an existing set of wheels up to the proper spoke tension:"Thanks again for re-doing my spokes so quickly. I've done the 9 mile commute to work twice with the new spokes and I can tell a difference. From the moment I push off, there is a smoothness that was lacking before. When I get moving fast there is a quietness, the whole ride is quieter, more efficient. I know each push from each muscle moves the bike a little further, which encourages me to push harder, make more lights, pass smarter, draft and keep up with better cyclers. So now my commute is a couple of minutes faster (and my temptation to run redlights is even greater). But the big thing is safety. Before you fixed my spokes there were two points where I am certain I was at risk. When I was drinking water -- one hand steering the bike and one hand on the water bottle – there were times when the front wheel hit bumps/cracks and shook in a sketchy way. Also when I was going fast, leaning hard into turns, the front wheel would flex in a way that I could see and in a way that seemed dangerous. I could SEE the tire move towards the break pad on the outside of the turn. Not good. Both dangers are gone now. I drink water and the bike is solid under one hand. I lean hard in to turns and the front wheel is an extension of me, which I can take for granted. Thanks for fixing my bike and for an entertaining conversation. And thanks for serving our country for so many years." - Blaine Honea, Washington, DC

Dave is a big guy who commutes and also does long rides. He needed a rear wheel that would be strong enough for his 200 pounds and have great durability and strength. I fixed him up with a Velocity light-weight 36-hole road hub and Velocity Deep V rim, DT Swiss double butted spokes and Sapim nipples. This has proven to be a winning combination many times. Dave was obviously pleased with the result."Just to let you know, I received the wheel and it is great! This has be the truest and tightest wheel I have ever ridden on! Grabbing it by the spokes to lift it out of the box, I could feel the spoke tension and knew this was a wheel made by someone with an understanding of metal fatique and how to avoid it. The spinning wheel looks like a lathe turned part. Fantastic! This wheel is destined to become a family heirloom (I'm sure it could last many generations). About once a week, I do a 42 mile (one way) commute to work. Wheel reliability is important since I routinely find myself far from home on unlit isolated country roads at three in the morning. A few times a year this happens when it's just below freezing. Having wheel problems needs to be the farthest thing from my mind. Thanks for your fine workmanship." - Dave Kolacz, Plymouth, Indiana

I built a rear wheel for Chris Ullman some time ago. He stopped in the shop to tell me how well it is holding up after a lot of miles."Bill provides superior customer service on top of superb technical skills. My wheel is tight, true, and was done on time. Before that, I was breaking spokes right and left." - Chris Ullman, Alexandria, VA

Todd rides several bikes and rides them a lot. He asked me to build two wheels for his commuter bike. I used Velocity Deep V silver rims with Sapim CX-ray spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Despite Todd's extensive use and great power, I expect he will get many miles of confident use from them."Another great set of wheels! Pictured are the latest wheels built by Bill for my daily commuter. They consist of Velocity Deep-Vs, Sapim CX-Ray spokes (32F x 36R), and Dura-Ace hubs. As I've come to expect from Bill, these wheels are built to last. I commute 20 miles per day to work and back over fairly rough urban terrain (Washington DC) plus some riding on the weekends - these wheels are definitely up for the challenge. They provide a safe, responsive, and comfortable ride - and look really cool! Bill's in-depth knowledge and detailed, engineering mindset with regard to wheel building are evident in all of his finished products. I've also taken Bill's wheel building class and have built a set of Velocity Aero-Head/Sapim CX-Ray/Chris King wheels for one of my road bikes." - Todd Tepper, Alexandria, VA

Doug is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, and he uses his bike to commute daily to and from work in the Pentagon. I have supported him in many ways, including general work on his bike and by building him strong wheels, He's a strong rider, and his young son is well on his way to becoming an accomplished rider in his own right."Bill built a great rear wheel for me last year, and after two unsupported tours, one 7-days and another 5-days, plus a year of daily commuting, it has never been out of true. I picked up my new custom-built front wheel today, and am looking forward to thousands of miles of smooth riding." - Doug Cherry

"After trashing my Mavic rear wheel, I needed a new commuter wheel. My coworker, Mark, recommended a hand built wheel, so I had Bill Mould build a Velocity Deep V laced to a Shimano 105 hub. After eight months of continuous commuting, this wheel still runs true and smooth." - Anthony Castellanos

I built Walter some really strong wheels from Campy Record hubs, Mavic Open Pro rims, DT Swiss 14/15 gauge double butted spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. I wasn't at the shop when he picked them up, so he came back so I could see them on the bike. He rides a lot!

"Bill built two wheels for me. I've put 1500+ miles on them in the last two months, including a 550-mile week-long ride and two century rides. The wheels are as perfect now as they were when I picked them up. They hold true and have needed no adjustments, even though some of my riding has been on rough back roads. Beautiful, strong, reliable wheels. Thanks." - Walter Green

"Thank you for the recent re-build of my wheels. Not only did you provide an extremely fast tournaround time, but my new Mavic Open Pro's are exeptionally well built and beautiful, in addition you've always been one of my favorite mechanics, friendly and very helpful. As a year-round bicycle commuter it's extremely important to me to have a reliable ride, I depend on it every day. I also use this bike for loaded touring, centuries, and multi-day road rides. In addition I'm a big guy at 260 pounds and ride in all kinds of weather on multi-user trails, sidewalks, and potholed city streets which puts a lot of stress on wheels. When you consider that I average over 5000 miles a year on this bike, I feel that I more than get my money's worth from your wheels by the time they need to be replaced. In fact, brake surface wear is the only cause for replacement, both wheels stay nice and true and spokes well tensioned and intact. I also know that you stand behind your work and warranty your wheels should they need tensioning or minor tuning.You've been my wheel builder of choice for the last 6 years and will continue to be so as long as I'm fortunate enough to continue to ride to and from work every day. Thanks for everything." - Matt W.

Paul is a big guy, and muscular, too. He goes 6'6" and 250-255 pounds. He rides a Marinoni road bike. We made him some hand built, super strong wheels that are also pretty light. We built them around his Campy Record hubs with Velocity Deep-V 36-hole rims, DT Swiss double-butted, 14G/15G stainless steel black spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Tension was set very high and balanced carefully.

"I've bought three high-end bikes from Spokes, Etc. and have been more than impressed. Prices, quality, and service are all first rate. My first bike that I purchased in 1987 still runs like new, even better now that Bill Mould built a new bullet-proof set of wheels. Thanks, Bill, and all the staff for the excellent service you provide." - Paul Cook

George made himself nice wheels in the Spokes Wheel Building School. He proved to be a very meticulous and detail-oriented student."I ride my commuter bike to work most days over 4% grades and some rough roads. I wanted to build strong city-bike wheels (with a road flavor) that would roll easily and stay true. I also wanted to understand how wheels work so that I could keep all my wheels in good shape. Bill's class at Spokes, Etc., Belle View provided: (a) help in selecting the best-suited components for my riding needs and budget; (b) detailed and individual attention on how to build the wheels; (c) access to equipment to complete my wheels; and (d) personalized advice on specific detailed questions. My finished wheels make my commute easier daily. I used the skills to true and correctly tension the wheels on my Trek road bike, too. I really enjoy the idea that I built wheels out of wire (mostly) and that they actually hold me up. It's magic!" - George Moore

Ray is riding on a paired spoke wheel we rebuilt for him. Forte hub, Gemini rim, DT Swiss double butted 14G15G stainless steel spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples."Great job on the back wheel. I kept breaking spokes, four of them! They fixed that by rebuilding my wheel. No more broken spokes." - Ray Romoth

Jeff rides a Cannondale road bike with Shimano bladed-spoke wheels. He had been experiencing difficulty with spokes that were constantly coming loose and the wheels going out of true. We fixed 'em."I brought my wheels in to Spokes in December, 2007, because the spokes in the rear wheel were too loose. Bill tightened the spokes to high tension and did the same to the front wheel. Wheels have been great ever since." - Jeff Ryscavage

Paul rides a high-end Specialized Stumpjumper. He came to me with problems with broken spoke nipples and low spoke tension. Several of the aluminum nipples were cracked or frozen to the spokes. I replaced all the aluminum nipples with nickel-plated brass Sapim Polyax SILS nipples and tensioned the wheels properly."Like riding a brand new bike - never realized how important wheels were! It is nice to have confidence when getting air again!" - Paul Beland, Arlington, VA

Dennis commutes daily on a road bike and races on mountain bikes. We have made several wheels for him to satisfy both needs. The road rims are disc wheels made from Mavic Open Pro rims, DT Swiss hubs, DT Swiss double butted spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. His mountain bike wheels are Mavic 717 rims, Shimano Deore XT hubs, DT Swiss double butted spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Pictured is Dennis racing in Greenland."I race cycle-cross and commute on the same bike. I needed a set of wheels that could take serious punishment and Bill built them for me. Building strong wheels requires a serious understanding of the art of wheel building. You won't find this knowledge in a catalogue or an online store. My mountain bike wheels carried me through 15 adventure races last year, including the national championships and a race across southern Greenland. When you race in extreme conditions you absolutely must have equipment that will not fail. Greenland has some of the worst conditions imaginable. Everything from freezing conditions to scree fields miles long. A bike loaded for an expedition race over this type of terrain must have some serious wheels, and these do! If you are not sure what kind of wheel you need just tell them what conditions you ride in and they will figure it out. You won't be disappointed."- Dennis W.

Spokes made John a complete, custom bike built from the ground up. It's a 26er with disk brakes and lots of cool components. We made his wheels from high-end Salsa rims, Chris King hubs, Sapim CX-ray ultra-light stainless steel aerodynamic bladed spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. His wife Christine, gave them to him as a Christmas present. Their two-year old son is already on a bike.

"This was my winter project this year, a new cross country full suspension bike. It was purchased as a frame only so we had the opportunity to build the bike with hand-picked components. In my opinion, one of the best parts of the bike are the custom wheels built by Bill Mould. The bike was out for its maiden voyage on March 13th, and it handled just as well as I had hoped. I am looking forward to many more rides this year. Thanks to all the people at Spokes, Etc. for their assistance with my build up." - John Kromis

Michael, as a 210 pound six-footer, needed strong wheels because of the high-wattage power he can generate. I reused the existing hubs that were in good condition but used new Velocity Aeroheat 32-hole rims with black DT Swiss double-butted 14/15 gauge spokes with Sapim Polyax SILS nipples."I am so impressed with not only my new custom wheels and how well they have been constructed but by the genuine care that Bill Mould had taken to assist me in the time of need to repair my wheels and get my bike on the dirt again. From beginning to end Bill had expressed the options available while taking in consideration my needs to get the right rims for the right job. At Spokes Etc. I found the staff overall very professional and courteous and able to answer any questions. With the master of custom rim making at the helm of spokes etc. he is indeed a true find. Great job team - looking forward to many more visits to satisfy all my biking needs." - Michael Harr

Bob was one of my first students in the Spokes Wheel Building School. He needed a new rear wheel and wanted to learn to do it himself. Here he proudly shows off the finished product. You can tell that he is a strong rider.

I build these cool wheels from Chris king mango-colored hubs and DT Swiss 14/15 double butted spokes and DT Swiss black nipples. The rims are Velocity Blunt rims custom painted with Velocity's fish skeleton pattern. These are definitely one-of-a-kind wheels. Nobody else in the world has wheels like theses, I would safely say.

"They are awesome! Still too much snow to really go ride but did have to go for a short townie ride, can't wait for spring! ... Amazing job and build quality. Where have these things been all my life?!" - Matt Moomaw, Durango, CO

Jay is a tall, strong, expert mountain bike rider. He recently built up a 29er, and I made him two wheels. Jay wanted tubeless wheels so he could ride at very low tire pressure. The components were: DT Swiss 240 disc hubs in the front and back; Stan's tubeless ZTR Arch 29er rims, DT Swiss stainless steel 14G/15G double-butted spokes; and, Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. The spokes were very highly tensioned and carefully balanced.

"These wheels are light, stiff, and strong - exactly what I look for. It would not be possible to build a 22" steel mountain bike with 29" wheels at only about 24 psi without a light set of wheels." - Jay Cato

I like building up wheels using Stan's rims, especially after having been trained by Stan, himself. Stan's rims are very light but still very strong. He has a unique cross-section design that makes this possible. So, I was delighted to make up a set of wheels for a serious mountain bike racer. Tom is a big dude, so I used Arch rims and laced them up to Velocity Disc hubs, using DT Swiss double-butted spokes and a lacing pattern that supports the large torsion loads of disc wheels. The light weight Stan's tires that I installed fit perfectly and sealed easily using Stan's yellow tape and sealant. "Running a Stan's Arches tubeless wheelset has made all the difference to this Clydesdale-class rider. The wheelset is so light, and running lower tire pressure has allowed me to drastically improve my racing performance. I couldn't be happier with the results. Thanks to Bill for the great build and the recommendation to go with Stan's."- Tom Howe, Alexandria, VA

Geoff is a big, strong rider. Just look at him! He rides a gigantic downhill bike that weights about 50 pounds. I made him a new rear wheel using his Hadley hub and a double-wide Sun rim, DT Swiss 14/15 gauge spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. After many months of riding, the wheel is still strong and true.

"Bill has fixed and built several wheels for me over the past couple of years, and each have been dead on and reliable. He maintains several different styles of wheels for me from road to cross-country, to dirt-jumping and Downhill. Not one has failed me yet, which is always a good thing while racing downhill. The wheels that bill built for my bike have two race seasons on them and they are still strong. Keep the rubber side down"- Geoffrey Allen

We built up some beefy wheels for Chris's new dual slalom bike. Hubs were Ringle 20mm thru-axle in the front and a Hugi rear with Mavic 521 rims. They were laced together with DT Swiss 14/15 double butted spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples.

"Bill put these wheels together for my new Suburban hardtail Dual Slalom bike. They should prove to be a solid set of wheels that will take the abuse of the on and off track riding they will be subjected to. They will have to stand up to street, park, dirt jumps, and bar banging racing." - Chris McGibbon

Doug is as serious cyclocross racer with the Northern Virginia Velo Club (NCVC). I built up some extraordinarily light tubular wheels for him from black DT Swiss 240 hubs, Mavic Reflex CD rims, black DT Swiss 14/15 double-butted spokes and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. I also glued on his tubular cyclocross tires. By the way, gluing tubulars is an exacting and time-consuming process that requires following certain steps to achieve safe results where you don't have to worry about tires rolling off the rims.

"Bill I can't thank you enough for the cyclocross wheels you built for me. They are as strong and stiff as I could have hoped for and very light as well. They withstood the rigors of the racing season in great shape, and as a heavier rider, I gave them lots of abuse." - Doug Owens

Follow-up: Doug subsequently brought in a Powertap wheel to be rebuilt with new spokes and a new rim.

Shaughn made a fixie out of an older frame he had. He needed new wheels, so we made him two with all new components. The components were Velocity Deep V rims (purple!), Surly track hubs, DT Swiss double butted 14G/15G spokes, and Sapim Polyax SILS nipples."Bill built up a superb set of wheels for me about eight months ago. Since then I've put plenty of miles on them, and they've been great. They have stayed true and put up with the daily abuse I give them. Could not have asked for a better set of wheels or a more knowledgeable and skilled wheel builder than Bill Mould." - Shaughn Dugan

For Chris' fixed gear bike, I used Velocity Deep V silver rims with Surly hubs, the rear hub being Surly's beautiful fixed/free filp-flop. The spokes were DT Swiss 14/15 double-butted with Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Chris is a purist with his bike; he rides with no rim brake at all, and every ride is a real hammerfest.When I was in need of a new wheel set, it was only natural that I would get ahold of Bill. I had been hearing so much about his wheel building skills over the past year or so. What I received from him was above and beyond anything I had expected. Super strong ride, super slick look. I couldn't be happier, nor could my bike." - Chris Pegeuse

Tom and Ruth are planning a trip to Alaska on their Burley tandem. They upgraded the drivetrain and had me make them two new wheels. Both hubs, including a new Shimano HF08 were drilled for 48 spokes. I used Velocity Dyad 48 hole rims and 96 284mm DT Swiss 14/15 gauge stainless steel spokes with Sapim Polyax SILS nipples. Tension is set high, and the geometry of the rear hub resulted in similar tension on the drive and non-drive sides, adding to the overall strength of the wheel.

I built this bike and its goofy wheels for myself. Please don't ask me what the practical value is. There probably isn't any. I did it for the challenge of building the wheels. If you look closely, you will see that while the wheels are perfectly round, the hubs are not at the center of the wheels. That is, they are eccentric wheels. There are about 15 different spoke lengths in each wheel. As the bike rolls along, the eccentric wheels cause the bike to move significantly up and down, kind of like a horse on a merry-go-round. It was a great technical challenge to build, tension, and true them. The resulting bike is really pretty cool and fun to ride.

I built this wheel from a number of colored Velocity Deep V rim sections. The problem presented a number of technical challenges, but it illustrates that huge variety of colors that Velocity offers. Actually, there are many more that I couldn't fit into the wheel, but you get the idea.